The present invention relates to a method for generating nitric oxide, which comprises the steps of: providing a precursor solution comprising a nitric oxide precursor in a first reservoir (12), guiding the precursor solution through a reaction chamber (16), thereby subjecting the precursor solution to radiation to generate nitric oxide, guiding the generated nitric oxide out of the reaction chamber (16) by a stream of carrier gas, and guiding the reacted solution into a second reservoir (14). The method according to the invention provides a method of generating nitric oxide, or a flow of nitric oxide comprising gas, in which the concentration of the nitric oxide may be kept especially constant. Also claimed is an apparatus for generating nitric oxide comprising reservoirs for the precursor solution and the reacted solution and a reaction chamber.

A data processing device is provided for an anesthesia device for feeding an intravenously administered hypnotic, a volatile hypnotic, and an opioid such that the volume flow can be adjusted. The device determines and standardizes the effective concentrations of the anesthetics. A pharmacokinetic model adds up the standardized concentrations of the hypnotics to a total hypnotic concentration. An isobole is calculated based on a coordinate plane with a total hypnotic concentration axis and an opioid concentration axis, as a function of the currently determined concentrations. The system displays a two-dimensional action diagram with the y-axis as an indicator of the total hypnotic concentration and the x-axis as an indicator of the standardized opioid concentration. The calculated standardized total hypnotic concentration and opioid concentration and the isoboles determined are displayed. The display is adapted to changes occurring in the isoboles determined in the course of time.

A removable gas sensor module is provided for a therapeutic gas delivery device. The gas sensor module includes a sample chamber which receives a sample gas from the therapeutic gas delivery device. A gas detection unit includes a plurality of sensors operable to measure at least one property of the sample gas. The sensors include two or more of a gas detection sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, or a combination thereof. The gas sensor module is self-contained within the therapeutic gas delivery device and swappable with another gas sensor module.

A method and device, for enriching a gas flow with an anesthetic, include a gas mixer (1), with gas inlets (2a, 2b) and one or more gas outlets (3a, 3b), and an anesthetic dispenser (4) connected to the one or more gas outlets. The anesthetic dispenser at least partially enriches the gas flow to provide a breathing gas flow enriched with anesthetic at a patient connector (5). A control valve (7a) is arranged fluidically in series with the anesthetic dispenser (4). The gas outlet is connected to the patient connector (5) via a gas channel (8), arranged fluidically parallel to the anesthetic dispenser (4) and in which at least another control valve (7b) is arranged. A control unit (6) actuates at least one control valve as a function of a desired value for an anesthetic concentration in the breathing gas flow to change anesthetic concentration at the patient connector (5).

A therapeutic gas is administered to a patient. A sample gas is drawn from the therapeutic gas supply, and passed through a water-permeable tubular membrane. Concurrently, a section of the water permeable tubular membrane is maintained as a ventilated water permeable tubular membrane, by exposing outer surfaces of the ventilated water permeable tubular membrane to an ambient air flow. The ambient air flow may in some examples be moved over the tubular membrane via forced air such as for example via a fan associated with a housing surrounding the tubular membrane.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a system to deliver at least one therapeutic gas to a spontaneously breathing patient, wherein the rate of delivery of the at least one therapeutic gas exceeds the patient's inspiratory flow rate, and the amount of the at least one therapeutic gas that is wasted is minimized or eliminated.

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for delivery of therapeutic gas to patients, using techniques to compensate for disruptions in breathing gas flow measurement, such as when breathing gas flow measurement is unavailable or unreliable. Such techniques include using historical breathing gas flow rate data, such as moving average flow rates, moving median flow rates and/or flow waveforms. At least some of these techniques can be used to ensure that interruption in therapeutic gas delivery is minimized or eliminated.

A gas delivery device includes a nitric oxide generating system. The system has a medium including a source of nitrite ions. A working electrode is in contact with the medium. A Cu(II)-ligand complex is in contact with the working electrode. A reference/counter electrode is, or a reference electrode and a counter electrode are in contact with the medium and separated from the working electrode. An inlet conduit is to deliver nitrogen gas to the medium, and an outlet conduit is to transport a stream of nitrogen gas and nitric oxide from the medium. An inspiratory gas conduit is operatively connected to the outlet conduit to introduce an oxygen-containing gas and form an output gas stream of the gas delivery device.

A method for measuring the anesthetic agent consumption in a ventilation system has a breathing circuit which contains a gas mixer (1) and an anesthetic agent metering device (2). The anesthetic agent quantity, which is consumed over a pregiven time interval in the ventilation system, is determined from the sum of the determined anesthetic gas volume flows in the ventilation system which are integrated over the pregiven time interval.

A therapeutic gas is administered to a patient. A sample gas is drawn from the therapeutic gas supply, and passed through a water-permeable tubular membrane. Concurrently, a section of the water permeable tubular membrane is maintained as a ventilated water permeable tubular membrane, by exposing outer surfaces of the ventilated water permeable tubular membrane to an ambient air flow. The ambient air flow may in some examples be moved over the tubular membrane via forced air such as for example via a fan associated with a housing surrounding the tubular membrane.